Blockade Runner

Blockade Runner is a straight Virginia mixture prepared using the traditional navy cavendish method. Baked red Virginia and golden Virginia are rested in rum for seven days, then pressed and cut into a cake. The seven-day period references the length of the voyage ships made from the Caribbean to New England; carrying tobacco preserved in rum was standard naval practice of the period. The ship on the label is the Advance, a Civil War blockade runner.

The tin note is noticeably boozy, but on the smoke the rum doesn't present as an aromatic; it stays more as a molasses-like undertone deepening Virginia's sweetness. Nicotine and flavor intensity are medium, with no harsh sharpness. It suits smokers wanting to keep Virginia blends simple, looking for the rum treatment's effect kept understated.